Safety mechanism for elevator-shaft doors



A. I. ROSENTRETER.

SAFEIY MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR SHAFT DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. Il. |9I9.

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SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR SHAFT DOORS.

Arrucmou FILED Dsc. l1. m9.

1,353,852, Pamasepn 2s, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. l. ROSENTRETEH.

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR SHAFT DOORS.

APPLlcAloN man nic, 1r, 1919.

1,353,852. Pmnd sept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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l 24,- 25,1473 4,5 e9 4f a2 @uw al@ fz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. ROSENTRETER. OF IBOONTON,

NEW JERSEY, AND FRANK E. HUTCHINS, OF

ZABRISKIE, OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW YORK, N. Y.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 EDGAR SAFETY MECHANISM FOR ELEVATOR-SHAFT DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application led December 17, 1919. Serial No. 345,556.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. RosnN- rnn'rnn, a citizen oi the United States, and a resident of Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Mechanisms for Elevator-Shaft Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains more especially to mechanism in or connected with an elevator shaft for controlling the motive power and operable on the opening of any sliding door at the several floors of the building, when the car comes to rest thereat, to cut ofi' the power from the car, the power being automatically restored when the sliding door ii closed or has nearly reached its closed position.

The object of the invention is to prevent the accidents which arise fromelevator cars being started in motion from a floor of a building before the door at such floor has been wholly or substantially closed.

Many accidents have occurred by persons hurrying or attempting to hurry through a partly closed doorway of an elevator shaft to enter a car after the car has started or is about to start in movement, and such acci dents are obviated by my invention which prevents the car Jfrom moving until the door has been wholly or substantially closed.

In carrying out my invention I extend a vertical connection, as a single cable or wire rod, the length or height ot the elevator shaft in a straight line, the connection preierably being provided at both ends with weights or other tensioning means. This connection, cable or rod extends through pivoted lever arms secured to the 'frame of the several doors, and above said levers said connection has buttons or shoulders or the like thereon to be respectively engaged by any lever'arm that maybe moved upwardly. The lever arms referred to have a member which extends into the elevator shaft and through the end of this member the vertical connection or cable passes, .and said lever arms are adapted to be actuated, during the opening movement of the door, by latch mechanism mounted on 4thedoor `to be manual v operated by the attendant on the car whennthe car comes to a sto at a floor of the building, and when the door is opened said mechanism, acting on one end of said lever arm, moves the other end or member of said arm against a button on the vertical connection and causes said connection or cable to move a part connected with a cutout or switch-box in the basement or at the foot of: the elevator shaft or any other convenient location, and thereby effect the cutting off oil the power from the car, the power remaining cut olf 'from the car during all of the period that the door is open. The power is automatically restored to the car when the door is moved to its closed position, the door latch mechanism, or that part thereof carried by the door, then permitting the movement of the aforesaid lever arm and said cable or connection in a downwardly direction.

The mechanism of my invention comprises the aforesaid vert-ical connection or cable having the buttons or shoulders thereon, the pivoted lever arm secured to the door frame at each floor of the building, a locking dog also secured to the door framing at each floor of the building and adapted, when the door is opened, to lock the lever arm in position to maintain the power cutoff from the car or hoist, and a suitable mechanism secured on the door embracing a latch for locking the door in closed posi tion and which latch embodies means for displacingr the aforesaid dog when the door is closed, thereby releasing the lever arm to be tilted downwardly at its outer end by said connection or cable for 'automatically restoring motive power to the car, and which means on the opening of the door acts on said lever arm to set the same Jfor automatic engagement by said dog, whereby to maintain the power cut off from the car while the door is open.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference boing had to the accom-- panving drawings, in which:

Figure broken away, through an elevator shaft and showing the shaft-side ot the several doors at the iioors of the building;

Eig. 2 is a vertical section, partly broken away, through one of the shaft doors and adjacent parts and illustrating more particularly the features embraced in my inven tion, the section being on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 3 illustrates the cut-out or switch box located at the foot of the elevator shaft to be operated from the vertical connection or cable extending through the shaft;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of a cutout or switch-box which, when so desired, may be located Vat the top ot' the elevator shaft as a substitute Yfor the cutout or switch-box shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation, on a larger scale. showing one of the sliding doors with the mechanism thereon and the mechanism operable therefrom;

Fig. (l is an elevation, partly broken away. on a larger scale, of a sliding door, sliding door frame and elevator shaft equipped with the mechanism embodying my invention, the door being shown in closed position, and

Fig. T is a correspomling view of the same illustrating the relation of the parts when the door has been moved toward its open position and the power has been cut off Jfrom the car.

ln the drawings, 'Ul designates the customary sliding doors Jfor an elevator shaft, 11 stationary or panel doors of usual character` 12 the framing about the doors, and 13 the several floors of the building.

Each door 10 is equipped with door latching and opening mechanism, shown in the present instance as comprising a vertical rod 14 having an upper enc bitching portion 15 which is polygonal in cross-section and a lower tubular or handle portion 16 adapted to telescope on a pin 17 which secured to a bracket 13 fastened against the door. lithin the tubular handle portion 1G of the rod 14 is conlined a coiled spring 19 whose lower end has a hearing on the upper end of the pin 17 and whose upper end bears against the inner top surface of the said handle portion 16, and the tension of said spring 19 is vto move the rod 14 and. parts connected therewith in an upwardly direction, causing the upper end 15 of the rod 14 to act in the nature of a spring latch. The pin 17 serves to retain the lower tubular end of the rod V14 in correct relation to the door 10, and the upper portion 15 of said rod is adapted to guide within a bracket 20 fastened to the door 10 adjacent to the upper edge thereof. The upper end of the latch portion 15 of the rod 14 is inclined or curved outwardly and downwardly, as at 21, and said portion 15 is equipped with a transverse pin 22, whose purpose will be hereinafter described. Y

In respect to the mechanism embraced within the present invention, the only portion thereof carried by the door 10 consists of the rod 14 and parts hereinbeore enumerated connected therewith. The door 10 is suitably suspended by hangers of known type and requiring no specific mention herein, and the doei' itself, together with the panel door 11, may be of any usual or suitable construction and mountin llpon the door training a( jacent to the upper left hand corner o the door. viewed l'ronl (he slnlflt-sidc ot the door, is secured a cast bracket-23 having a` vertical. member 24 engaging and secured to the jamb of the door. a horizontal inwardly extending elongated ineinber 25, and a` lower vertical recess 21' adjacent to the member 24.-, andat its inner vertical edge affording a shoulder 27 to be engaged by the upper end of the latchportion 15 of the rod 114, as shown in Fig. 6. The member 25 of the casting 23 is formed with a web portion 28 and fil-long the edges thcreoic with. an unbroken transverse flange 2),y said flange being inclined downwardly and outwardly at its inner end portion, as at 3l). and then extending outwardly on horizontal lines` as at 31. and linally extending :dong the edges of the oi'icning 25, as shown in Fig. 7. '.llie tasting 23 is in one integral piece. and hence ol simple and durable construction and may be readily applied to position At its lower outer corner the casting 23 has pivotally mounted thereon, by means of a pin 32, a two-armed lever in one integral casting, the inner arm of said lever being .numbered 33 and the outer arm of said lever bein@ designated by the numeral 34. l num er the' two-armed lever as a whole 35. The member 33 of the lever 35 is formed with a web portion 36 and an upper trans verse iiange 37, and the member 34 of said lever is formed with a web portion 38, an upper transverse flange 39 and a bifurcated outer end portion or auxiliary arm 40, which receives within its slot the vertical connection, cable or wire rod 41, on which is adjustably secured buttons or shoulders 42, the button or shoulder 42 at each floor of the building being directly over and engaging the upper surface of the auxiliary arm 40. The buttons 42 may be of any suitable type and constitute shoulders against which the respective arms 40'may act to move the vertical connection 41 upwardly and which may act against said arms 40 during the downward movement of the conncction so as to tilt the two-armed lever 35 from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that illustrated in Fig. 6. The two-armed levers 35 are carried by and supported from the castings 23 and offset from the vertical plane of the sides of said castings as indicated in Fig. 21

The castings 23 are each formed with a lug 43 upon' which is pivotally mounted the upper end of a weighted arm or gravity dog which Erefcnably has downwardly diverging si( edges and! a' curved lower end,

as clearly Vrepresented in Fig. 7. The dog is on the same vertical plane with the arm 33 of the lever 35, as shown in Fig. 2. When the door is in closed position it is, as hereinbefore mentioned, latched by the engagement of the portion of the rod 14 with the shoulder formed by the flange 27 at the inner vertical edge of the recess 26 in the casting 23, as shown in Fig. 6, and at this time the dog 44 has been tilted to one side' by and restsV upon the transverse pin 22 of theV latch member 15, as Vshown in alben the'rod `14 is pulled downwardly in opposition to the force of the spring 19, and the door 10 is then moved to open by lateral pressure applied against the handle portion 16 of said rod, the latch member becomes lowered from the recess 26 of the casting 23 and travels with the door 10 during the opening movement of the same, the pin 22 on said latch member 15 then riding against the upper flange 37 on the arm 33 ot the lever and causing said arm 33 to turn downwardly to a horizontal position and the arm 34 of said lever to turn upwardly to a horizontal position or to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7, and the dog 44 automatically at this time swingingr to a vertical position, following the pin 22, and becoming arrested directly above the leverurm 33, as shown in Fig. 7,'in which position said dog serves to lock the lever 35 stationary. l provide the dog 44 with a'stop 45, which. by engaging a part of the casting 23, serves to arrest said dog when the same attains the vertical position shown in Fig. 7. lll-hen the door is in closed position the Vlatch member 15 and dog 44 will be in the resportive positionsin which they are shown in Fig. 6, the door then being closed and latched, and when the door is to be opened the A`rod 14 is drawn downwardly and the handle 16: is used for'sliding the ydoor toward its open position, and at this time the pin 22 oi. the latch member 15 rides against and along and acts to turn the inner end or arm 2li-l of the lever 35 downwardly and the doe 44 automatically turns to position for locking said arm in the position given to it by the pin 22, so that after the pin 22 leaves the arm 2l' due to the continued open ing movement of the door 10, said dog may maintain the lever 35 in the position imparted toit bythe pin 22 during the lirst portion of the openingr movement of the door 10. The mechanism connected with the door framing thus consists simply of the casting 28, lever 35 and dog 44, and these parts may all be assembled and secured to the door framing by means of screws 46 2) or in any other convenient Way. f One purpose of my invention is, particularly, toV provide means operable on the opening of a door 10 for automatically cut ting off motive power from a car VWhose at tendant opens the door after bringing his car to rest thereat,and Jfor restoringr power to the car on the closing of the door, and these means reside more particularly in the vertical connection 4l having thereon shoulders or buttons 42 and the levers 35 whose arms 34, by means of the extensions 40, extend below and cooperate with the Said shoulders or buttons 42. The vertical connection 41 extends substantially the full height offthe elevator shaft and is preferably a single cable, Wire rod or the like, whose upper end extends over a pulley 96 at the top of the elevator shaft and has a tensioning Weight 47 connected therewith, as shown in F ig. l. The lower end of' the connection 4l has secured to a tensioning weight 48, and above said weight said connection 4l is equipped with two shoulders or buttons 49, 50 which are reasonably close together and receive between them the bifurcated end of a lever arm 5l which is pivotally secured at 52 and has a belLrraHk lever 53 connected with it, said lever 53 being mounted in a cut-out or switch box 54 and carrying at its lower end a conducting` strip 55 adapted to extend across and connect two terminal plates 56 which aro edge to edge and one of which has one circuit wire 5T connected with it and the other of which has another circuit Wire 58 in electrical connection therewith (Fig. 3). The (ut-out or switch. box 54 is an ordinary type oi' rut-out or switch box, and l do not maize :my specific claim to the 'features thoreo'l'. when the parts are 1n the position shown in Fig. 3, the conducting strip o5 by connecting the two edge to edge plates 56 establish the circuit for moving the car, not shown, and at this time all of the doors ll) in the elevator shaft are in closed position and in such position secured by the latch members l5 at the respective floors.

l-Vhdn the car is arrested at any floor olf the building and the attendant on the car starts to o1, en the door 10 thereof, he will pulhthe rod i4 downwardly to free the latch member l5 from the shoulder 'formed by the inner edge of the recess or keeper 26 and then slide the door to its open position. The movement of the door toward its open position will result in the door carrying the pin 22 against the arm 33 of thc lever 35 and turning said arm downwardly and the arm 34 oi" said lever upwardly, and this operation results in said arm 34, by engaging the button or shoulder 42, moving` the vertical connection 41 upwardly, the slack being taken up by the weight 47, and the upward movement of the connection 41 results in the free end of the lever arm 51 being elevated and effecting the elevation of the conductor 55 from the switch arms 56, thereby breaking the circuit and cutting off' the motive power from the car. The connection 4l will remain in position cutting off the motive power from the car so long as the arm 34 of the lever 35 maintains its pressure against the shoulder or button 42 on said connection, and in order that the motive power shallhe cut off from the car during all of the time that the door 10 is in its open position, I provide the dog 44 which will lock the lever 35 in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7, during all of the period that the door 10 is in an open position. When the door 10 is closed it is desirable that the motive power be restored to the car, and on the closing of the door 1U the pin 22 will first swing the dog 44 from the lever arm 33, allowing the lever to tilt from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7 to that ilh'istrated in Fig. 6, and the upper end of the latch member 15 will enter the recess 26 of the casting 23 and latch the door 10 in closed position. When the dog 44 is swung from engagement with the arm 33 of the lever 35, the weight 48 at the lower end ot' the connection 41 will over-balance the weight 47 at the upper end of said connection and pull the connection downwardly so that the shoulders or buttons thereon will maintain their engagement with the outer end portions of the arms 34 of the levers 35 and at the same time restore the conducting strip 55 to its operative position, completing the circuit for the motive power for the car.

As a substitute for the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 at the lower end ot the elevator shaft, for cutting off' and restoring the motive power employed to operate the car, l. can make use of equivalent mechanism applied at the upper end of the elevator shaft, and this mechanism I illustrate in Fig. 4, in which 41 denotes the vertical connection, 59 a weight thereon at the lower end of the elevator shaft. 60 a pivoted lever having one end engaged b v said connection 41 arid provided at its other end with a weight 62, 63 a switch or cut-out boX, 64 a. bell crank lever mounted therein having one arm in engagement with the lever 60 and carrying a conducting strip 65 at its other end, 66 a pair of switch arms to he connected by the conductor 65, 67 one of the circuit wires connected to one of the members 66, and 68 the other circuit wire connected to the other of said members 66. When the parts are in the relative relation shown in Fig. 4, the motive power will be on the car, and the car may be set in motion, as usual. vWhen a door at any floor of the building is opened and the lever 35 at such door tilted upwardly, by the opening of the door, to engage a button or shoulder 42 on the connection 41 and lift said connection upwardly. in opposition to the weight 59, the weight 62 will descend and turn the longer arm of the lever 60 downwardly so as to release the bell crank lever 64 and effect the movement ot the conductor 65 from the switch members 66, thereby breaking the circuit. When the door 10 is closed the weight 59 will restore the lever 35 which had been operated, to its normal position, shown in Fig. 6, and cause the lever 60 to turn upwardly at its longer arm, lifting the weight 62 and restoring the conductor 65 against the switch members 66, thereby completing the circuit. The details of the mechanisms shown in Figs. and 4 are not novel nor do they specifically form any part of my invention. Other forms of switch or cut-out mechanism may be employed in connection with the vertical connection 4l in carrying out the purpose of my invention, and my invention, therefore, resides more particularly in said connection 41 and the means connected with the door and door framing for assuring the proper operation of the same for cutting off the motive power from the car when the shaftdoor is opened and restoring said power to the car when the shaft door is closed.

My invention has been so fully described hereinbefore that it is believed that the construction and operation ot the same will be fully understood without extended additional explanation. I may add that when the door 10 is moved to closed position, the upper end of the latch-member 15 will ride against the downwardly and outwardly inclined flange 30 of the casting 23 and then pass along below and against the flange 31 of said casting, compressing the spring 19, and, finally, when the pin 22 moves the locking dog 44 to releasing position and the upper end of the latch-member 15 has reached the recess 26 of said casting 23, the spring 19 will, by its expansion, move the upper end of said latch-member` upwardly into said recess, where the same will be confined by the shoulder 2T. The features constituting my invention are of very durable and simple character, easy to manufacture and convenient to install. My invention provides very satisfactory means for application to elevator-shafts and doors and the same may be installed at comparatively small expense.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting ofi' the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several floors of the building, levers on the door framing at said loors having one arm disposed to engage the respective shoulders on and move said connection, a manually operative door-latch on each door, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed, and means carried by the latches for engaging said levers respectively on the openin of a door to actuate the same against said s oulders on said connection respectively for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch.

2. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of .the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting oirl the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several lioors of the building, levers on the door framing at said floors having one arm disposed Vto engage the respectiveshonlders on and move said connection, a manually operative door-latch on each door, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed, means carried by the latches for engaging said levers respectively on the opening of a door to actuate the same against said shoulders on said connection respectively for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch, and means for automatically engagingsaid levers on the opening of the respective doors and maintaining them in circuit breaking position While the door is open.

3. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting oif the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several floors of the building, levers on the door framing at said iloors having one arm disposed to engage the respective shoulders on and move said connection, a manually operative door-latch on each door, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed, means carried by said latches for engaging said levers respectively on the opening oi' a door to actuate the same against said shoulders on said connection respectively for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch, means for automatically engaging said levers on the opening of the respective doors and locking them in circuit brea ing position while the door is open, and means for retiring said locking means from said levers on the closing of the door to permit said connection to move said levers to initial position and re-make the circuit at said switch.

4. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting oli' the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several floors of the building, pivoted levers on the door framing at said floors having one arm disposed to engage the respective shoulders on and move said connection, vertically movable latch rods on the doors having latch members at their upper ends, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed, and pins carried by said latches for respectively engaging the other arms of said levers on the opening of the respective doors' for tilting said levers against said shoulders on said connection respectively for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch.

5. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting ofi' the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several floors oi' the building, pivoted levers cn the door framing :it said iioors having one arm disposed to engage the respective shoulders on and move said connection, vertically movable latch rods on the doors having latch members at their upper ends, shoulders on the door framing to cngage the latches when the doors are closed. pins carried by said latches for respectively engaging the other arms of said levers on the opening oi the respective doors for tilting said revers against said shoulders on said connection respectively iior moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch, and means for automatically engaging said levers on the opening of the respective doors and locking them in circuit breaking position while the door is open.

6. ln elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a cut out switch for cutting ofi the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several iioors of the building, pivoted levers on the door framing at said oors having one arm disposed to engage the respective shoulders on and move sai d connection, vertically movable latch rods on thc doors having latch members at their upper ends, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed. pins carried by said latches for respectively engaging the other arms of said levers on the opening of the respective doors for tilting said levers against said shoulders on said connection respective-ly for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch, and means for automatically engaging said levers on the opening of the respective doors and locking them in circuit lrreakinflr position while the door is open, said loeli'ing means when in operative position being in the path of said pins, and said pins on the closiinil movement ot the doors being." alapted to retire said locking:r means ironi said leve-rs to permit said connection to tilt said levers to their initial position.

T. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft and adapted to have limited vertical movement. a cut out switch for cutting oil the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on said connection at the several floors of the building, pivoted levers on the door framing at said floors having one arm disposed to engage the rcspective shoulders on and move said connec tion, verticallyr movable latch rods on the. doors havingr latch members at their upper ends, shoulders on the door framing to engage the latches when the doors are closed. pins carried by said latches for respectively engaging the other arms oli' said levers on the opening of the respective doors for tilting said levers against said shoulders on said connection respectively 'for moving said connection lengthwise to break the circuit at said switch. and pivoted gravity dogs for automatically engaging said levers on the opening of the respective doors and locking them in circuit breaking position while the door is open, said dogs when in operative position beingl in the path ot said pins. and said pins on the closing,r movement of the doors being adapted to engage and turn said dogs from engagement with said levers to permit said connection to tilt said levers to their initial position.

8. In elevator-shaft and elevator-shaft door mechanisms, in combination, a vertical connection extending the height of the shaft-and adapted to have limited vertical movement, a. cut out switch for cutting olf the car motive power operable from said connection, shoulders on Said connection at the several floors of the building, springpressed latch rods on the doors having latch members at their upper ends, metal trames secured to the door framing at the several lloors having recesses to receive and afford engaging' shoulders for the said respective latches. carried by the doors, levers pivotF ally mounted on said metal 'frames having one arm disposed outwardly to engage a shoulder on and move said connection and lanother arm extended inwardly along the lower portion of said metal frame, pins carried by said latches for respectively riding against the inwardly extending armsof said levers on the opening of the respective doors for tilting said levers against said shoulders on said connection respectively tor moving said connectionlengthwise bo break the cirenit at said switch, and gravity dogs pivotally mounted on said metal frame 'for automatically engaging saidr levers on the opening of the respective doors and locking them in circuit breaking position While the door is open, said dogs when in operative position being in the path of saidpins, and said pins on the closing movement of thc being adapted to engage and turn said dogs from engagement With said levers to permit said' connection to tilt said levers to their initial l'iosition. Y

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of December, A. D. 1919.

ALBERT J ROSENTRETER. 

